Games Are For Children
by Schlurp
Summary: Edward's punctuality never was perfect. James' intentions never were all that angelic.
1. Games Are For Children

**A/N: Hello, fellow fanfiction junkies. Schlurp here, bringing you her first fanfic for this site. If you plan on reviewing (which I won't force you to do), be honest. If it sucked, tell me that, but with some tips. If you liked it (not sure you will), give me the reasons why. **

**Enjoy, mes ami!**

**xx**

_Games are for children. _

Not for him. For him, games are all he lives for. Games are the most significant part of him; they're the non-existent blood coursing through his veins; for him, the games are every bit of passion, every fiber of his marble hard body.

_Games are for children._

But when you add players that want to win, it turns into a sick, twisted dance. All of the turns and spins become a mocking reminder that you might lose.

Or that you might just win the prize.

The prize. It's why he stands in the musty, humid room. Why his hair has become matted with dry leaves and tiny bits of northern foliage. The prize is every reason for this game to go on. This venerated prize has driven him to leave the one he supposedly loved. The one who would die for him, though he isn't sure that he would return the affectionate favor.

_Games are for children._

The game is why she walks in so warily, knowing that he is here, though is too afraid to believe herself. _Ba-dump, ba-dump, _her heart pounds at the sight of his unsettling smile. Her eyes close for a moment as though a moment of nothing will clear away the monster in front of her. When her pale lids open wide once again, he is right in front of her. The air that _whooshes _out of his nose is icy, sending shivers down her warm back. Tears have gathered gradually, but she makes an effort to send them back, not wanting her last moments to be spent with salty water on her cheeks. Despite her determination, one slips through the corner. In a blindingly fast swipe, the tear is on his finger.

He chuckled, putting it in his mouth. This action is familiar to her, making more tears spill over. "I hope he's ready to watch you cry," the hunter laughs, seemingly oblivious to her pain.

_Games are for children._

He sets a video camera onto a wooden table, making sure they're in full view.

"So what makes _you_ amazing?" he says slimly. "Why did _you_ get noticed by one of us? One of the eternal, the people that wouldn't want anything to do with you?"

Her only response was a sob that echoed off the walls, shattering any serenity that had been left in the room.

"Did you ever think that it would come to this? Most humans don't get an opportunity like this; an opportunity to be tricked, and then die in what they hope would be a noble place."

She still didn't answer.

"Funny thing is that it isn't noble at all. What I'm going to do to you is far, far from noble," he snarled.

This time, she didn't have to answer. He didn't need one. By the smile on his face she already knew what his intentions were.

_Games are for children._

_No! _she wanted to scream, but her words became lost in her dry throat. _Don't do it this way. Just kill me. I don't want to die like this!_

Still in the camera's line of view, he stepped forward, painstakingly slow. With a quick twist of fingers, he had grabbed the hem of her dirty t-shirt and torn it off. Pressed up against the wall, she cried while looking at the pieces of blue cloth.

Deep in her throat words were building. And though she knew there wasn't mush time, she though about what she wanted her last words to be. It was a choice she never thought she'd have to make, but when faced with the difficulty, it troubled her to no end. Nothing that would turn the spiral of events into a romance novel, and surely not a word that would end her life sadly. In the tiniest stroke of intuition, she let her lips force the word out. The vibration made the walls of her throat ache, but it was one she wouldn't regret.

"Edward!"

**xx**

**A/N: Yeah it was short, but the next chapter will be up soon if you guys want it. I already have chapter written, so it won't take long to update. Thank you for being so kind as to read my story!**

**-Schlurp**


	2. Saviors Are For Church

"Do you honestly think that he'll want to help you?" he whispered, his nose almost grazing hers.

"Y-yes," she stammers.

_Saviors are for church._

"He won't," he states calmly. "I know he won't. Do you know why?" He pauses, waiting to see if she answers. "It's because you aren't special. You're just a human. A stupid, ugly human." The words became louder and louder, until he was spitting into her tears.

Her shirt is still on the floor, shredded into what looks like a thousand pieces. His eyes greedily rake over her exposed skin. He licks his lips hungrily. The venom he slurps spreads across his chin.

_Saviors are for church._

Faster than when he ripped the shirt, the undergarment is off, leaving the flesh of her torso exposed and bare. Her sobs come harder and harder. She bangs her head against the mirror behind her, her hands and lips trembling.

"I hate you." They say it simultaneously, the tones of their voices meshing into an unbearable screech.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked, amused. "Shouldn't you try to make peace with they person that'll kill you? Shouldn't you say that you _love_ me? I think you do."

_Saviors are for church._

Her only answer comes in, "I hate you." She starts chanting the words, letting them fall easily off her tongue. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you . . ."

"Quiet!" he barks, crushing his hand over her mouth. Never before has she hated the cold so much.

He slams her forcefully against the glass, savoring the sound of it shattering. Blood pours off her back. In a violent swivel, he turns her around to lick the bleeding skin. She keeps her arms closed around her chest, trying not to collapse.

The murmurs of hate turn into whispers of a name she cherishes. "Edward, Edward, Edward . . ." In a way, she calls out for him, though she believes that the hunter's every word is true.

Against her skin, he whispers cruelly, "He wanted you for the some reason I do. Your blood. It's so . . . captivating. Like some flower that you want to keep smelling. When I was human, I liked to squish flowers beneath my feet. Once I'm done with you, I'll do just that."

His foot slammed into her knee, both breaking it and making her fall to the glass-covered floor. Shards pierced through her pale skin, exciting the hunter even more. His eyes focused on the hundreds of cut along her stomach and back. They ran in red streaks like a never ending river. Blood had now stained his already dirty trench coat and the exposed parts of his chest. He ripped of his shirt and jacket, sending the tangled garments into the corner he had been standing in earlier.

He tore off the rest of her clothes, sending her into another rage of sobs.

"I told you that you wouldn't get out of this," he sneered. "You're going to die, you're going to die, you're going to die . . ." He repeated it like a foreign vamp song, his smooth trailing along a repetitive melody.

"Edward _will come," she shot back. "I know he-"_

"_Usually when you don't love someone, you don't save them. And he doesn't love you."_

_She buried her face into her arms, looking for some form of shelter. He moved forward, not ready to kill her, but ready to do his worst._


	3. Love Is For People Who Deserve It

**A/N: First off, I want to say thank you to those that are kind enough to continue reading this. Your reviews mean a lot to me; they really brighten my day. And though I appreciate the reviews I do have, I wouldn't mind more. Not having an account isn't any reason not to. Leave and anonymous (sp?) review. Just tell me whatever you're thinking when you read the story!**

xx

She knew it wasn't love that made him do it. He knew that, too. It wasn't lust either. Had it been one of the two, she wouldn't have bashed her fists against his back throughout every minute of the event. He however had remained silent and committed to the task. Even her screams of, "She hates you, Victoria does! She doesn't love you." When he heard this, he only strengthened his grip on her arm, snapping it cleanly in two.

_Love is for people who deserve it._

That wasn't the only abrasion on her dainty body. Glass was still splintered into the skin on her back and neck. Blood covered her torso from the slam to the head she received. One of her legs was twisted from a sloppy break in the femur, showing just how roughly he had thrown her against the glass. The floor was now just as bloody as she, littered with the remains of her violently shed clothes. There wasn't a piece of cloth larger than the palm of his hand left. His clothes had been placed lightly in the corner, all whole except for the shirt. But he could live without that. He had done it before.

_Love is for people who deserve it._

"He'll never want me now," she sobbed into the tile. "I'm not worthy of his love anymore after this. I'm not worthy of anything at all!"

"Quiet, you stupid complaining human," he snapped, kicking her in the broken leg again. More quietly this time, he said to himself, "It's a lucky thing Vic doesn't know what I do. I might be dead, had she found out with the black-headed one . . ."

"What?" she hissed. "She doesn't know? You haven't told anyone about this sick game in _all of your Goddamned life? _You're a monster!"

He rolled his eyes at the obvious, adding in humor. "What was your first clue? Did you honestly think I was just an innocent little angel? You are frighteningly senile." His laugh was cruel. Merciless.

_Love is for people who deserve it._

"I never said that you weren't terrible. I just didn't think that you were this horrific. How many people have you done this to, this torture?" Her fists clenched unconsciously.

"Quite a few, actually. All of them ended up dead." He leaned into her face, enunciating each word loudly. "Just like you will. Except for one. She had an alibi. It was an old one of our kind, so I was able to finish him off pretty quickly. Not quickly enough to get her, though. I think you might even be acquainted. It's the black-haired little weasel that was changed before I could get to her. She smelled so good . . . Just like you."

She held her hands up as if to protect herself, but the hunter took no notice. There was a loud _slurp_ as he licked his lips towards her. She could see that this was it: the last moment she had of life. Everything she had ever built towards, every person she had ever loved, it would all be gone after his lips pierced her neck. _It doesn't matter anyway, _she thought. _After what he just did to me, Edward wouldn't want me anyway. _I _wouldn't want me. _As she continued to ramble on in her mind and sob, he came forward with a new predatory grace. Blindingly fast, his hands were violently grabbing the skin on her shoulders, bringing her up.

_Love is for people who deserve it._

"If I'm going to kill you, I want it to be fun. Fight back!" he ordered.

She shook her head limply. "Not worth it."

He brought his pale hand up and slapped her. "Fight back, you stupid human! Fight!"

"He doesn't want me anymore. There's nothing to fight for." He dropped her bloody body, letting it hit the glass again.

Instead of pressing on her resistance, he decided to end her life. Not without a bit of misery, though. His foot stomped down on her unbroken leg, making the knee shatter into hundreds of pieces. Even more blood spewed everywhere as his teeth ripped at her calves and thighs. She began to thrash and scream as he laughed into her skin.

"Edward!" she cried. "Edward, please!"

_Love is for people who deserve it._

xx

**A/N: Okay, so I tried to be awesome and not ask for reviews, therefore leaving you all with the choice. That obviously isn't working. So I'll have to scream at you.**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Saving Is For The Loved

**A/N: This is getting ridiculous. 286 reads and only 9 reviews. That means that only one in every 31 people are reviewing. Do you really hate it that much? If you do, I can gladly stop, but I'll only know if you REVIEW.**

xx

It certainly wasn't fate. After managing to slip around a force such as that so many times, anyone would be able to see that it wasn't fate. Had it been fate, her savior would have been there sooner. Had it been anything at all, she would have been so critically injured.

_Saving is for the loved._

Though it may not have been fate, it was definitely a higher force that brought her savior to her right before death.

For a minute, he stood in the doorway. His mouth hung agape and wide. "B-Bella?" he stammered. Before melancholy stillness could set in, anger made its debut. His feet barely touched the floor as he ran towards the hunter, knocking him away from her. The pulsating fury was so intense that without realizing his actions, he tore off the hunter's head. When the two pieces were on the ground, he spat at them, "I'll finish you later. Right now, I need to help her."

With contrasting gentleness, he picked up her limp body. Just on the brink of unconsciousness, she slurred quietly, "I know what happened to Alice, Edward. Not all of it, but some. She-" He placed his icy finger over her bloody lips.

_Saving is for the loved._

"You can tell her later. Right no we need to get you away from him." He seemed to notice for the first time that her bleeding flesh was also naked. "Did he . . . ?"

She nodded meekly.

"That monster!" he roared. "How could he do that to you? How could he do that to anyone?"

"He tried to do it to Alice," she said quietly. "But she got away. Someone changed her."

Before she had finished her sentence, he was staring open-mouthed at her leg. The flesh had been ripped by his teeth violently only a few moments before.

"Bella," he started slowly. "does your leg hurt at all? Or anywhere, for that matter."

She frowned, but tried to hide her discomfort. "No," she lied.

"Yes it does," he objected. They were now outside, so he flitted into a darker alley. "We have to get you to Carlisle. But I can't walk around in the sunlight with a girl who's just been . . ." He swallowed the word, as if not speaking it would make it untrue.

"Raped," she offered.

_Saving is for the loved._

He nodded, holding back a broken sob. "I'll have to call Alice and Jasper. We were all stuck in traffic."

"Why is it that only you're here then?" she asked.

"I jumped out of the car and ran through an alley or two." His hands gripped the phone in anxiety. While it rang, he said to her, "I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner. I shouldn't have even gotten you into this mess at all."

"I don't care. I don't care about what just happened . . . Okay, maybe I do a bit, but not that much. You're here. That's more than I expected. Do you still love me?"

The person he had been calling picked up, her voice high with fright. "I saw it, Edward. I saw it all . . . and I couldn't stop it. I'm so sorry! So, so sorry."

"Alice, I understand, but you need to get here now. She begun the change, but she won't admit to it," he said. "Does Jasper know?"

"About what?"

"That she was . . . r-raped," he stammered again. The words all came choppy and forced, as if speaking was an obligation, not a choice.

"No, but he just heard you," she responded lightly, as if his pain hadn't even occurred. "We're around the corner." her voice had become frantic, as if just realizing the situation. "How is she?"

He looked down at the woman he loved, only to find her fists clenched and infrequent groans escaping through her tightly closed lips. "Not well," he answered. He held the phone away form his mouth to say, "Love, I'm sorry, but you can't make any noise until we're somewhere alone with the family."

She nodded, tears starting to flow because of the pain caused by the simple gesture. "Make it stop, Edward. The fire, it's burning me! Please, Edward!" She was ashamed to experience pain in front of him. _He'll think I'm just a stupid human, _she thought while looking back on what the hunter had said. The memory made her shattered bones feel as if they were being slammed into all over again. Her limp grip on his arm grew even more feeble as she swallowed a glass-shattering scream. "Make it stop . . ."

_Saving is for the loved._

A gleaming car rounded the corner and stopped at the mouth of the alley. Two breathtakingly beautiful people ran outside of it and ran towards he and the bleeding girl.

The black-haired woman held her hand out to her partner. "No- you will stay in that car, Jasper. I know you can't handle this. I'm sorry, sweet, but you can't," she ordered. When she saw his slightly hurt expression, she lifted herself to his face for a lingering kiss. She pulled back to look at his face. "I'm just keeping both you and Bella safe. You know I'm only doing this because you're the most momentous thing in my existence."

He nodded, and then whispered to her, "I don't even have to say it. You know I love you." With that last not of adoration, he whisked himself towards the car.

"Wait!" her savior, the one called Edward, called. "I have James torn up in there. If Jasper wants to go finish the job . . ."

The one named Jasper directed himself towards the dance studio. Within less than a few seconds, there was a strong smell of ashes and sweet nectar. The job was done, and so was the hunter.

_Saving is for the loved._

xx

**A/N: I have a compromise. If I get 15 reviews total by the end of the week, I'll post three chapters in one day. And I'll even make them longer, if you prefer. But that means 15. I'll still post (ransoms are too evil), but just not in clusters like that. Sound good? And thank to those who have reviewed. I love you guys!**

**-Schlurp**


	5. Screaming and Burning

**A/N: This is SO not related to my story, but does anyone here like Paramore? I've been a Parawhore since December, and have recently decided that I'm going to marry Jeremy, Zac, and Josh. Zey are SEXY! But on the subject of the crappy story I've posted, thank you to those who have so kindly reviewed!**

xx

Fire.

The symbolization is easy to figure out: triumph, power, reign . . . Every word carries a connotation that reeks of being mighty.

_Burning is for those with clean skin._

Ice.

The simplicity of the word seems so contrasting to its common associations: easily diminished, constricting, temporary.

Each definition was a word of complexity, one that isn't easily explained. How could someone define the word _power_? How can it even be used properly? For certain situations, it seems completely contradictory to the definition.

In a situation such as this, fire and ice hold none of the definitions listed above. The ice that stills her heart will always be present. The fire that burns the remaining blood in her veins represents no power, only the loss of it. Though it seems to be a matter defined by only interpretation. To her, she sees being defiled in such a way as repulsive, but sees the fire as a way to be with the one she loves for all of eternity. He however, views the fire and ice as a complete demolition of her soul, though he does relish the thought of being with her forever. He'll never reveal that to her. There was always the underlying wish that they were equals, and that he could kiss her like a he believed a man should. Proximity would never be a problem now, at least. And though this knowledge comforts him, he can't find the joy in it.

_Burning is for those with clean skin._

"There's so much fire," she moans, grabbing at his hand. Over the course of a mere sunrise, the pain has escalated almost quadruple for her tortured body. "It's everywhere, everything. Edward, put the fire out, oh _please_, put the fire out!" Her cries grow louder, yet it brings no concern to him or the pixie-like woman, for they have relocated to a desolate forest in the northern parts of Oregon. Only the woodland creatures will hear her beg.

"Bella, forgive me," he murmurs, rubbing her arm. The skin has begun to heal and become paler with the painful change. "I never meant for this to happen."

"But you wanted it," the pixie-like woman interjects.

He glares so strongly that she shrinks back slightly. "I wanted is us to be equals. Not for to be a monster."

_Burning is for those with clean skin._

"None the less, you wanted this in a way."

"Yes, but I didn't want her soul to be ripped away like this. And it had to be by that monster!" he growled, shaking his head. "Must she be so self-sacrificing?"

"It's part of her nature combined with the masochism that you rubbed off on her."

"Thank you, Alice. Your encouragement means so much when we happen to be in a dire situation such as this," he sarcastically remarked. "I feel so loved."

"Sure you do," the pixie-like woman laughed, and then became somber as his love let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound seemed to shake the trees surrounding them.

"What'll we do when she finishes?" the woman asked. "I'm sure she'll want to stay with us, but where will we go this time? Denali?"

"Ugh," he shuddered. "No. I really don't want to deal with Tanya, and I don't think that Bella should have to either. We could go to Europe, but she doesn't speak the language. Not that I couldn't teach her; I wouldn't mind spending more time with Bella." He paused, pinching his nose. "Do you . . . do you think she still loves me? After not being there for her when she needed me to protect her, I can't imagine why she would."

_Burning is for those with clean skin._

"Edward, how can you even ask that? Looking at _that_," she pointed to the writhing girl that held his hand and screamed his name. "I _know_ she loves you. While were traveling down to Phoenix, she told me things. The way talks about you makes it sound as if you're God. You're the most important thing to her. The way she describes your features, and just the simple romantic gestures you give makes me almost jealous. Almost. And the look she gets in her eyes when someone even says your name shows that she would die for you."

He kissed the screaming woman's forehead and then sighed. "It looks like she already has."

_Burning is for those with clean skin._

xx

_Screaming is for those who have meaningful words._

Some say that pain will decrease when time passes. Most of those who repeat the phrase time and time again haven't gone through the process of becoming part of the night. They haven't had ice creep through their bones so slowly that its trail burns, making the path feel as if incinerated by fire. They haven't been defiled so crudely prior to the fire. As far as those who have experienced this are concerned, the followers of this phrase know nothing at all.

Her cries have pushed past the point of groans and infrequent screams to devastating silence. Far worse in the eyes of her lover.

"Bella," he breathed against the skin of her face. The proximity would have driven her wild at any other time. "Can you speak to me? Tell me something, anything. Anything you want."

She opened her eyes, which had been closed tightly. They were emanating the pain that had bound her to silence. With great difficulty, she choked out in a voice silkier than before, "Does this mean that I'll be with you forever, now that I'm one of you?"

_Screaming is for those who have meaningful words._

He staggered for a moment. He had always thought her voice was beautiful. _Like an apple, _he thought. So small and petite with a rougher edge and even sweeter, juicier core. But this new voice, the one that had started to take shape, was _breath-taking_. Dripping with honey, all of it sweet, but with a more tempting flare. Erotic, even. After sitting in shock for a moment, he replied, "As long as you want me, I'll be there."

She swallowed another scream before saying, "Forever. I'll want you forever." He reveled for another moment in the sound of her voice.

"Bella, can you promise me something?" he asked, looking at her thrashing figure. Hesitance was clearly present in the question, as if he would spur a bit of hate in asking for something such as this.

She merely hissed in pain, but it was enough of a reply for him. "When the change is over, will you tell me exactly what James did to you?"

Her full lips flew open in a gasp, releasing one of the shrieks into the forest. When she could control her erratic breathing, she answered truthfully, "I- I don't know if I can do that. It was . . . It was . . ." She broke into another round of screaming sobs. The tears she had shed so easily only a day before were slowing slightly, as if running out.

_Screaming is for those with meaningful words._

"Shh," he hushed, rubbing her back while he himself restrained a sob. "It'll be over soon. I know it will."

The pixie woman appeared behind him, snapping a cell phone shut. "Carlisle says that he's sorry he had to go back for his shift, but it would look conspicuous if he stayed. I told him that she's been going for about a day and a half with small signs of changing. He's afraid that because of her injuries, it'll be a four day change to heal up everything." Her eyes were apologetic.

"Four days," he said through clenched teeth. "For _four days _she'll have to go through _this_?" He pointed his partner. "Alice, we need to get some morphine or something of the sort."

"Do you honestly think that a man-made drug can stop that? Nothing will keep her form screaming like that."

_Screaming is for those with meaningful words._

"I just need to put her out of this pain! It's killing me to see her like this. Think of how it would have been to watch Jasper in all this pain, screaming and thrashing," he said. "The way he would scream as if someone was ripping out his heart."

She flinched as being slapped. He instantly regretted saying such a thing. "I'm sorry, Alice. That was terribly rude. I shouldn't have said something like that."

"No, no, it's fine. I shouldn't be so apathetic," she murmured. "But it hurts that I wasn't there for him. He was changed by that _Maria_," she sneered.

"I never wanted it to end up like this for her, but if it did, I wanted to be the one to do it. I think she would have wanted that too," he said quietly.

"She did. She wanted everything to be with you, Edward," the woman said.

_Screaming is for those with meaningful words._

Another shattering scream slipped through her lips, causing him to cringe. There never was a greater pain for him than experiencing hers. In the times when their love had been new, every emotion was felt together. The blissful smiles, the over-flowing tears, the raw anger; whatever feeling had arisen, it had captured both of them. Even the pain that erupted at their parting was felt in the exact same way. It was if they had been born as one soul, split into two bodies.

"Edward," she groaned, her fingers lacing themselves so tightly in his shirt that the fabric tore. "Make it stop. Please, I'll do anything to make it stop! Do you want the fire the fire to keep going?"

"Bella, I-"

"Edward, please!" she interrupted.

"Bella," the pixie woman said to her. "I know that this will end. And when it does, you'll be with Edward forever. He doesn't have to worry about you smelling good after this. You can kiss for as long as you want without ever having to breathe. It'll just be you and him for eternity."

Though the pain increased steadily by the second, she was able to let out a small smile for a second. Though it was short, it certainly didn't go unnoticed by him.

_Screaming is for those with meaningful words._

xx

**A/N: Say, for a pessimist Bella is pretty optimistic, eh? Sorry. I told you I was a Parawhore. Review? I know you will. I dare you.**


	6. Touching Is For the Untainted

**A/N: Enjoy, mes amis. I love you all. And because you love me back (and you know you do), you'll review. Pleeaase? **

xx

The word _dead_ can be defined in many ways. Depending on the situation, its meaning changes quickly. _Webster's Dictionary _defines the word _dead_ as lacking motion, energy, or power to function. Had they seen her at this moment in time, the definition would have shifted greatly.

_Touching is for those who are untainted._

"And don't forget all of the shopping trips we can go on!" the pixie woman squealed as she screamed loudly. Not necessarily from the pain, but at the prospect of being forced to spend long hours in a shopping center. "Oh, come on, Bella. It'll be fun." She groaned again.

"Alice, putting her in pain can't be helping with the situation she's in now," he scolded. His hands traced gentle lines over her healing abrasions. She sucked in a sudden breathing, wincing.

"Don't," she moaned, biting her lip. She recoiled from his loving touch.

He cringed, wondering where her dislike to his touch had come from. "Sorry, love," he murmured. Never once had she been opposed to his touch. Many times, she had craved it more than anything, especially since it was the one thing that put her in so much danger. It had always been the one barrier in their relationship. Every other wall that had blocked them from each other had been successfully knocked over. _So why would she not want me to touch her? _he thought dejectedly. In a way, it had been a gift. Whenever he had touched her before, it was in his moments of greatest self-control. Every time her scrumptious throat would move within a close proximity to his teeth, there was suddenly a great amount of distance between them. Not only physically, but emotionally.

_Touching is for those who are untainted._

"Edward, I wouldn't take it personally - she's in a pretty twisted state right now," the pixie woman said soothingly. "She'll be in a much better state when she gets out of this. Remember, only-" she paused as the girl screamed in agony. "two more days."

"I know, Alice," he responded, looking at the thrashing girl wistfully. "I've seen this three times before, remember?"

"Yes, but it's never happened to someone you were in love with. And I feel the need to give you my consolations, because I know you didn't want it this way. It should have been her choice, not his. No one should be as selfish as to take away someone's humanity just for their pleasure."

"Thank you," he said quietly. "At least my life was over when I was turned. Bella still has Renée and Charlie - wait, we forgot about Charlie!"

And they indeed had. "Oh my goodness," mumbled the pixie woman. "He thinks Bella is with Renée, and Renée thinks she's with Charlie. They're both completely unaware that their daughter is dying."

_Touching is for those who are untainted._

"We're going to something - alert them that she died, tell them, or . . . fake her death," he suggested.

"Edward, did you even think when you said that? Do you know what Bella would say if she knew that her parents were crying somewhere far away because they think she's dead - _while she sits comfortably_? It would kill her, Edward. She's too kind to everyone to let someone go through that kind of pain if she can help it." She pulled out a small piece of paper from her back pocket. "Speaking of which, did you read this? She wrote it before we left the hotel. In case she didn't come out of it, she wanted you to know that she loved you, and not to get yourself hurt."

He grasped the thin sheet of paper with shaking hands, noticing the emblem of the hotel in the bottom corner. Before reading the actual words, he ran his fingers over the small indentions in the cheap paper, showing clearly where she had a difficult time finding the strength to keep writing. Once he began to read her loving words, his breath hitched. _He has my mom _. . . _Tell them thank you _. . . _That's what he wants, I think _. . . _Forgive me._ By her ending note, a word had become a larger blob of ink due to the fact that she had let a tear escape. The word _love_ had become smeared and tangled with everything else, making her last words hard to comprehend. In all reality and truth, this had happened to them both. What started as a complicated affection turned into an ensnaring, passionate eternity.

_Touching is for those who are untainted._

"Don't you see how much she needs you?" the pixie woman asked. "It seems that everyone loves her. Or at least sympathizes. Even Rosalie can muster up some pity. But that's partially because she can empathize so well with what's running through Bella's mind. She really sorry for her, Edward."

"She should be. Did you not hear what she said to Bella before we left? I knew Rosalie could be bitter, but that was uncalled for. Bella did nothing to disrupt her precious world. Bella has done no wrong," he defended. _My angel could never do wrong, _he thought.

"I know that, but I'm just saying that it's quite the thing for Rosalie to even think about Bella without frowning."

He didn't answer, just stared blankly at the note. Instead of staying on the subject she had provided, his mind switched automatically to his love, still holding in her shrieks. The change was building to a climax, sending her mind into a panic unfamiliar to its careful balance. Thoughts spun and churned like a raging machine. Her muscled contracted and relaxed in irregular rhythms, making her lungs _whoosh_ in and out like a broken air pump. She bit her lip in hope of keep any disturbing screams locked inside the burning walls of her throat. After chewing on the tender area for a moment or two, the pale skin broke, releasing a drop of blood onto her chin. The rich, crimson color dribbled down her neck.

Touching is for those who are untainted.

From her side, he clenched his fists tightly, fighting against the urge to bring more of the inviting liquid out. The last time her blood had been shed before him was while he pushed his whole being into saving her. The prospect of her death had made even noticing her blood impossible.

"Alice," he growled through clenched teeth. "I think it's time I go hunting. Can you take care of Bella?"

The pixie woman gasped at the sight of her blood. "Go, Edward," she commanded. "Go!" Then more softly to the girl she said, "Let's get this off of you, Bella. It's driving Edward mad." She took her own sleeve, seeing as she had nothing else, to wipe the blood of the girl's chin and neck. While she scrubbed at the red streak, she babbled. "Did I tell you that Carlisle wants to come up and see you? He says he might be able to take the weekend off, but I saw a couple of car crashes, so I'm not sure if he will. But seeing how it's Friday, we'll find out tomorrow. Edward wants him to come; just to make sure you're okay, and all. He worries about you so much. You'd be surprised at how much I see in your future with him." She stopped talking to whistle a wedding march quietly. Her melodic voice made it sound like the flute of God's messenger.

"Alice," she groaned, rolling onto her side.

"Whoops!" she said. "Did you want that to be a surprise? Sorry . . ."

Her bleeding lips let out another horrifying screech. "Bring Edward back," she cried. "Please, just bring him back to me!"

Though the pixie woman was afraid of hurting her, she whimpered, "I can't. He needs to hunt for a while. Please understand, Bella. That's all I ask."

But she didn't understand. None of the events that orbit around her insignificant body were quite understandable. The person being victimized by these events understood them less than those who saw them. And in all truth, the one that starts the turn of events doesn't understand it either. When the hunter took her first strike to her sacrificed body, there was no possible way that he could have known what he would do to her world, and the lives around her.

xx

**A/N: Darn those terrible cliches. Once again, review if you haven't, and thanks to those who have. I love you guys!**


	7. Hunting Is For Animals

**A/N: Yup, it's a filler. Nothing really pivotal in the plot is in this chapter, just some talk between Edward and Alice. And by the way, this chapter is for Silverlake Elf. She gave me a really great review. There was some awesome advice in that thing. Much virtual love to her.**

xx

His muscles stretched and contracted, rippling along the strong lines of his body. The motions were no challenge for him; his figure could be twisted and lashed at for days, yet no scars would appear.

_Hunting is for animals. _

He stopped at a thick patch of shrubbery, nestling quietly into its tangles of leaves. Instead of waiting for his prey to stop its chase, he sprung quickly. If he wanted to be there when his love's pain ceased, there would be no time to squander. His teeth snapped the neck of the woodland predator quickly, knowing that if he savored the drink, he would only force it into more suffering. And he knew what suffering was like for an innocent creature; after all, he had been watching it for two days.

The decadent liquid flowed down his throat like cream, soothing the fire that had been raging for so long. Resistance had been a brittle wall for him in the last few days. Never before had so much blood been split before him. He had seen three transformations, stayed calm in all of them, but not once had it been so hard to restrain himself. Why had her blood been so alluring, so enticing? Had he been able to control himself, to silence the longing buried within the folds of dead flesh within his chest, she would be wholly human. Completely mortal, and happy. But would she have been satisfied? Both of them had been joined in an unseen way. A link stronger than fate, or even love. Tearing a bond such as that would be unthinkable.

_Hunting is for animals._

Once the fire in the cavern of his throat had been tamed, he wandered back slowly to the pixie woman and her. Each step was deliberately taken, his thoughts wandering to the prospect that if he never came back, she would have no more troubles. _How can I even think that? _he thought. _Leaving Bella when she's just gone through something like that would be the single most selfish thing I could to do to my angel. And I couldn't leave her even if she asked. I've dug in too far to do that. _

After arriving back to his love and the pixie woman, he sat on the earthen ground, crossing his legs in a kindergarten style. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, Alice," he sighed, staring at the red-brown dirt and grasses he had kicked up.

"It's okay," she said. "We all know how hard this is for you. Having such a strong pull to her blood must be so unbearable. And even to me - the one who isn't that strongly attracted - she smells good. Kind of floral." She frowned as he growled quietly. "Now, Edward, don't be absurd. I'm not going to eat your girlfriend."

_Hunting is for animals._

He forced out a chuckle, making it sound like a hysterical moan. "I know. But seeing her like this has made me feel so much more-"

"Possessive? Over-protecting? Over-"

"Yeah, I get it, Alice. No need to go find a thesaurus," he laughed genuinely. "Seriously speaking, I'm really wondering if she'll regret it. Had she not gotten herself so entwined with me, she could be safe at home, nestling in her warm bed. Instead, of done this to her. I've made her one of us. Now she has no soul. Can you imagine it? My Bella, soulless, thirsty. But I have to wonder whether or not she'll really lose herself like that. Being the Bella she is, I have faith that she'll be able to maintain a certain amount of humanity even in her early days."

The pixie woman laughed, shaking her head. The movement made longer strips of her hair sway gently, as if in a wheat field. "You'll never learn. How could she have not gotten herself entwined with us? Not almost getting herself hit by a van? Not making small talk with you in class? I don't think you can understand the fact that no matter how much you deny it, you would have ended up together anyway. Maybe she wouldn't have ended up as one like this of us if we had changed some planning, but I know she would have despite that fact. I saw it."

_Hunting is for animals._

"You knew? You knew she would end up like _this?_" he hissed.

"Yes, but not in this manner. In my vision, you two were married, still so wildly in love with each other. She asked, gave conditions, and compromised to get this. You accepted, because she wanted it so badly. Because you loved her."

"Me?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward the his sculpted chest. "Why would I have done something such as that? Killing her," he laughed, though there was no humor in the rich sound. "Though I will say that I love her more than you can comprehend, I don't think I would have done that. _Never_ would I have done that."

The pixie woman's lips tugged into a small smile, her head shaking once again. "Whatever you say, Edward, whatever you say."

_Hunting is for animals._

xx

**A/N: Is anyone reading this willing to be a beta? As expressed in Silverlake Elf's review, I need one. There are some mistakes that I need smart people like you guys to fix. Any takers?**


	8. Keys Are For Doors

**A/N: Oh. My Gosh. I am _so_ sorry for not updating sooner! I was out of state all week (Myrtle Beach, SC) and didn't get back home until Sunday. I was jam-packed until Wednesday, and forgot about putting this chapter up.**

**Sorry!**

xx

"No," she whimpered, her arms grasped in a firm lock around her knees. "Leave me."

_Keys are for doors._

"W-why, Bella?" he stuttered. His flawless teeth chewed on the skin of his bottom lip, holding back a cry. "Did I do something wrong? If I did, please, please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you."

Instead of speaking a word or two that would diminish his frustration and worry, he body only continues to rock back and forth, back and forth, back and forth . . .

"Edward, she's probably just going through some sort of post-traumatic shock," the pixie-woman soothed, though her own voice was rising in pitch. "She'll be okay soon. We just have to be patient. Patience is-"

"Yeah, it's _the key_," a silky voice scoffed from behind.

_Keys are for doors._

"Rosalie?" he breathed. In an unconscious action, his hand slipped around his love's. She screamed, slapping it away hastily.

The one called Rosalie walked toward them, ignoring their shock. "Do you really believe that patience can heal something like this? You haven't gone through what she or I have. Had you experienced that, or even seen it, you might have an inkling of how she feels." When the pixie-woman frowned, Rosalie softened her tone. "Alice, you know I didn't mean it like that. I'm not trying to say that you're stupid or anything. But if you had experienced this, you would know that it doesn't take patience to get through it." She paused, thinking of a way to make them understand, to comprehend her message. "Do you remember how I told you when I attacked Royce and his friends? When you've gone through something like this, your mind goes into overdrive, confusion. When you've seen enough time to sort out your thoughts, they seem to be able to focus on only about two things: one, keeping yourself away from others. All I could think was, _'I'm filthy. Ruined.' _Two, is a goal. For me, it was revenge towards Royce. Once I had him dead, my thoughts could focus again. But I wasn't whole until I found Emmett. Everything was so much better after that." As her explanation came to an end, her eyes grew wide, her mouth into a blissful grin.

His voice broke her out of the cloudy daze she had melted so willingly into. "Bella will feel like she's . . . filthy?" Never before had an idea such as this occurred to him. In his eyes, she could only be pure and beautiful. An angel to contrast his dark aura and mind, or so he thought. But never filthy. To him, she would never be ruined.

_Keys are for doors._

"Well, that's what I felt like. Being invaded like that isn't going to make you feel beautiful, that's for sure." Rosalie hesitated once again. "But I suspect that she will. Feel ruined, I mean. I don't want to offend you, but did you see her slapping your hand like that? It's not that she doesn't love you, but when you feel that you aren't even worthy to be in the presence of the person you love most, you can't blame her." As a quiet noise erupted in the dark forest, they all stiffened.

A daunting, thickly muscled figure stepped out of the foliage. "Hey, guys!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie cried, jumping up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck. After embracing his large frame for a moment, she asked with twinkling eyes, "When'd you decide to come? I thought you said it would be another day."

He shrugged. "Well, I wanted to see Bella, and I missed you," he admitted quietly. It was only in her presence that he would ever tell of having deeper, entwining feelings.

_Keys are for doors._

"Guys, I hate to break up your moment, but if you'd like to come and help me calm Bella down, that gesture would be greatly appreciated," the one called Edward broke in, stopping their lips before they could close the inch between them.

"Right. Sorry, Edward," Emmett apologized. As soon as he caught sight of Bella's rocking frame, his brow furrowed worriedly. "Wait - I thought she was done with the change."

"She is," Alice whispered. "It's a sort of self-hatred posttraumatic spasm of fear of herself." After a quick pause, she added, "I think."

"So Bella has gone momentarily crazy?" Emmett asked. Never one to blur the truth, his words were candid and unmarred.

"Emmett . . ." Edward growled. He sighed, and then answered, "Yes. I wouldn't call it crazy, if it were me. More of a highly unbalanced state of mind."

_Keys are for doors._

"Cuhrazy," Emmett whispered in a sing-song voice, dragging the letters out to make extra syllables. Ignoring his brother's scowl, he continued, "I need to hunt. Even if Bella isn't human right now, I want to go have some fun. I hear there's delicious grizzly up here."

Rosalie stepped up from her spot in the grass. "I think I'll go off to the coast. I've been dying for some seal." She licked her lips, as if the decadent drink was already smothered across her face. "Care to join me, Alice?"

"Well . . ." Alice murmured, glancing at the rocking girl beside her.

"It's okay, Alice," Edward assured her. "I was thinking that we could actually take her up with you guys. She does need to learn how to hunt."

Emmett grinned widely. "Sweet!" he chirped excitedly.

His smile faltered slightly as Alice said, "How do we get her up there? If she won't let us touch her, than we have no way of transporting her. That is, unless she'll move herself." Leaning in towards Bella, she whispered, "Bella, can you get up?"

Having stopped her frantic, violent motions, she simply laid there silently. No answers came from her lips, which were now in a pout and colored a delicious red. The eyes that had once been so bright and understanding were now closed tightly, though they were still remarkably more attractive. Sweeping black lashes lined the rims, brushing over her newly defined cheekbones.

_Keys are for doors._

Emmett walked casually over to her, his mood still undeniably cheery despite the others. "Bella, I know you can get up. You're stronger and more graceful now. And on the plus side, you can't fall on your butt!"

Bella giggled lightly.

"See?" Emmett continued. "Eternity doesn't seem so bad when you know you won't fall on your butt. Well, you still might do that. There was this one time where Rosalie-"

"I think that's enough optimism, Emmett," Rosalie interrupted sternly. She turned to the others to say, "Let's get a move on."

Emmett scooped up the silent, grinning girl and placed her in his arms. She immediately began to thrash and shriek, hitting him square in the jaw with her small fist. In a split-second, she was out of his strong grasp, running off into the forest, away from her family.

_Keys are for doors._

xx

**A/N: Yes, I am evil enough to give you a cliffie after not updating in a century. But on the plus side, no more prounouns! HUZZAH!**


	9. Impurity Is For High School

**A/N: I think my beta died, so expect a few more mistakes than usual with this one. As for the chapter title (which I'm pretty sure you guys will ask about), don't ask. Even _I_ don't know. I was tired, okay?**

xx

"Bella!" he called, waving his arms frantically as he streaked quietly into the forest. "Isabella Marie Swan!"

_Impurity is for high school._

She turned for a second, and hissed angrily at the sound of her formal name. He remained unfazed, having gotten what he wanted. In her moment of standing still, she was far too overcome with anger to realize that he had gained a considerable amount of distance between the two of them.

He pumped the muscles in his legs harder, only a few feet away from her as she flitted off again. Though her speed and strength were fresh, he was skilled with running. The speed was like a friend to him. A dear friend that nurtured him, coaxing out the solutions to his most difficult problems. And though it wouldn't help him here, he could try.

"Bella, wait!" he commanded. "Please, just stop for a second. I need to talk to you. I need you."

_Impurity is for high school._

As his tone melted into its familiar sincere honey, she slowed to a stop.

They were yards apart, yet she could hear every whisper that fell from his flawless lips. "How did it come to this? A few days ago we went to a meadow, and you let me kiss you. You trusted me when I ran with you. You offered me to sleep in your bed with you, and told me about yourself. You let me kiss you again, and you let me catch you when you fell. You let me take you to six other people that could have easily killed you, yet you didn't care. I ran with you again and you made me see-- you made me see that I'm not all that smart. You made me see that even though I've endured high school multiple times, there are things far above my comprehension levels. And I loved it.

"You watched me play baseball, and you let me defend you. Now look at us! You're running away and I'm shouting at you. I don't want it to be like this, Bella. I want you to say you love me like you did, I want to say the same and kiss you. I still love you. With every fiber of my being, I love you. I don't care what he did. I don't care if you think you're unworthy, or tainted, or anything like that. I want you to come back with me. I need you. Please," he begged. "Please."

When she didn't answer, he said quietly, "I can't take it if you run away from me again. But I'll let you. If you don't want me, you can go."

_Impurity is for high school._

Her mouth hung open slightly in reaction to what he had just said. She closed it quickly, looking towards the ground. Battles raged inside of her body.

_You love him, you love him, _one said.

_You aren't worthy, you aren't worthy, _the other said.

She went with the first.

xx

Though she did run back quickly, she didn't embrace him. They didn't walk hand-in-hand back to the others. There were no burning kisses, hushed words of affection, or even a glance into each other's eyes. The distance (both physical and emotional) wasn't due to the fact that there was no adoration felt towards one another.

She was afraid.

_Impurity is for high school._

It wasn't because of him. She had never once felt that he had failed her that day, or any time before. In her eyes, he could never do wrong.

No, it was because of _him_. Not of Edward, but of the one who did those things to her body. Those vicious, ghastly things. She resented him for making her even more unsuitable for him. Though she knew her looks might have been slightly enhanced, she would never be beautiful enough for him. After having been shoved and touched in such ways, she felt that her body was impure. Not only that, but she had told herself that her mind was now too unclean. Knowing what he did to her, she knew things would never be simple again.

It was for these reasons that she chose not to speak or touch the person she loved the most. For touching, she felt, would make him impure, too. If she were to speak to him, his ears and mind would become filled with empty promises and things he wished not to hear.

It was at that moment that she vowed to herself to never speak or touch again.

_Impurity is for high school._

xx

**A/N: For those of you who have reviewed and favorited both me and this story, I appreciate you so much! If I could buy each and every one of you a Mercedes Gaurdian, I would. Sadly, I do not have that kind of money. But still, I love you guys!**

**Virtual love,**

**Schlurp**


	10. Speaking Is For Sisters

**A/N: I recently put out a story titled "Tongue Tied". I have one review.**

**One, fridging review.**

**I think you know what I'm getting at.**

xx

"I swear, Bella, if you ever run off again . . ." Alice trailed off, shaking her head angrily.

_Speaking is for sisters._

"You'll what, darling?" a rich, resonating voice asked. She spun around, a grin breaking through her mask of disappointment.

"Jasper!" she cried. Instead of sprinting gleefully towards him, they both stayed rooted in place, content with only looking at each other. "I missed you. But I bet you already knew that."

He chuckled quietly. "I missed you, too, love." He spread his arms wide, waiting for her body to jump into them. She was only happy to oblige.

_Speaking is for sisters._

"Mmm," he murmured into her neck.

Bella clenched her fists involuntarily. More than anything, she wished that she was as worthy as Alice of love.

Worth.

She now regarded the word in a completely different light. Prior to her change, it had meant the value of an object, what one would willingly spend money on. Had she been an object, she felt, not a soul would take pity and buy her mangled body.

_Speaking is for sisters._

"Hello, Bella," Jasper greeted. He looked at her sheepishly. "I never shook hands with you before. Though I hate what happened to you, at least we can introduce ourselves properly, right?"

Edward stepped forward slowly. "Bella isn't exactly up for, uh, introductions right now."

Alice's eyes became glassy for a split-second, then refocused on Bella's face. "Oh," she murmured. "I see."

Edward nodded solemnly.

"What?" Emmett asked. "What's going on with Bella? You know, for those of us with seemingly normal minds, we don't exactly enjoy your little silent conversations." He crossed his arms impatiently.

"It's the self-hatred posttraumatic spasm of fear of herself again. Except for the shaking, it's refusal to verbally communicate or touch others," Alice explained. "If my vision is correct, and there is a possibility that it could change, it'll take decades for Bella to get over it. A century, possibly. I'm not really that sure of how to make it shorter. Bella seems pretty set on this."

_Speaking is for sisters._

"Why?" Emmett demanded, turning to Bella. "You finally get changed, and I can't even give you a proper hug to celebrate it!"

Rosalie chimed in, "Yeah. I was a bit . . ."

"Bitchy?" Alice offered.

Rosalie glared back at her. "Yes, but I can't even apologize and know that you accept it. You're going to be my sister now. I may still be mad at you - you did invade in on my life - but I think you're pretty decent."

"But, but, Bella!" Alice whined. "We're sisters now. Sisters are supposed to talk with each other. Sisters are best friends. We're the hugs for when something terrible such as this happens. We're the girls that laugh all night about jokes that Emmett thinks are funny."

_Speaking is for sisters._

"You're my sister too, Bella," Jasper said. "Rosalie and I are feeling the same thing right now. We can't apologize and know that you accept it. That's the most important part of it. Without the forgiveness, there's only silence."

"I wanted to kiss you properly," Edward murmured.

"We can't do any of that if you go through with this, Bella," Emmett said. "Please."

Bella shook her head furiously. Instead of focusing on the voices swarming so heavily like insects around her, she centered herself on the ache in her body. It was everywhere. The scooping, coring hurt that resonated in her limbs, creeping up her throat like winter's fingers until it burned her mouth. She whimpered.

_Speaking is for sisters._

"Are you alright?" Edward asked. "Nod your head. Motion with your hands."

She pointed limply to her neck. "She's thirsty," he whispered. "Bella, we need to teach you how to hunt. Soon."

She jumped back hastily. From between her glittering teeth, a tiny growl erupted in her burning throat. _I can never kill an animal, _she thought. _It's barbaric, it's cruel. _

Emmett sighed. "Bella, you can't starve to death. You can try, but it won't work. Either you let Edward teach you how to hunt wildlife, or go so mad with thirst that you ending up eating one of your buddies."

She eased out of her crouched position. "Atta girl," Emmett said. Her footsteps were wary as she approached Edward.

He guided her into the thick, choking foliage, unaware of the danger that lay ahead.

_Speaking is for sisters._

xx

**A/N: Ah ha ha! A cliffe, no? Don't worry, I think I know what I want as for the next chapter, so it should be out soon.**

**Reviews love.**


	11. Control Is For the Ignorant

**A/N: I am SO evil. Not updating for this long is truly cruel.**

**But, I'll upload two chapters today to make up for it! HUZZAH!**

--

With a newfound grace, she stepped soundlessly across the muck and bracken. She noticed that her feet were bare, and her clothes were torn, looking as if they were hastily stitched together.

_Control is for the ignorant._

"I'm sorry," Alice apologized, glancing at the frayed garments. "We had to salvage what was left of your clothes, and then sew them together. I can organize outfits fairly well, but I'm not much of a seamstress. We'll find you something else after we hunt. I promise."

Bella nodded.

Alice continued on, "But we just thought that it would be kind of impolite to leave you without clothes, and all, even if they are a bit . . . grotesque. Edward was not okay with leaving you naked."

Somewhere ahead of them, Emmett snickered childishly.

_Control is for the ignorant._

"Emmett, grow up," Alice growled. She turned to Bella again, not caring if she didn't respond. "So are you excited? About hunting, I mean. It may sound . . . barbaric right now, but in all actuality, it can be sort of fun. The speed, the power. Even though we feel ashamed afterward for taking an animal's life, we still feel a rush. But no one enjoys it more than Emmett."

"So true, Alice, so true," Emmett laughed. "I think I hunted some when I was human. Big game was my sort of thing. That was why I was in a forest when Rosalie found me, I believe. Old habits never die."

When Bella cocked a perfect eyebrow, he asked, "You never heard my story, did you?" She shook her head.

He began with the few fragile memories of his years as a human. The tales he spoke of seemed so dark, so sinister. The times he would stumble into a friend's home for the night, too drunk to take notice his surroundings. Women graciously opening their beds to him, only to wake up beside a cold pillow. Moonshine and whisky dribbling down his unshaved chin. Walking down an thick trail until the pain in the bones of his feet was too much to take. Claws, snatching at the fabric around his muscled chest, finding their way to his skin and flesh. Angels taking him into flight, their blond hair swaying gently around his face. Fire licking at his body, crystallizing the very life within him. Fevered, passionate kisses across his stony body. A family. A true, loving family.

_Control is for the ignorant._

"Emmett thought he was in hell when his change began," Edward laughed. "Once he even said, 'My angel. Where did my angel go?' It just about broke Esme's heart."

Rosalie turned to Emmett. "Were you talking about me?" She laid a hand across her chest.

"Yes," he murmured, looking down in embarrassment.

"Oh, Emmett! I love you more than you will ever know," she whispered into his ear.

He shivered under her delicate touch.

"Break it up, lovebirds," Alice interrupted. "We have a newborn to teach, okay? Hunting is an art that is sculpted by years of experience."

Emmett snorted. "You eat it. What exactly is there to learn?"

"Many things. Control, for instance. What if, when she gives over, a hiker comes by? Do you think she'll be able to stand it? You're forgetting your early years, Emmett. It wasn't exactly Candy Land." She traded the grimace for a blinding smile. "Ready, Bella?" She nodded her head weakly. There was a large _gulp_ heard.

_Control is for the ignorant._

"It's alright, love," Edward reassured kindly. "You'll be fine. I have faith in you."

"Do you smell anything?" Alice asked. Bella nodded. "Does it smell good, delicious? It's your prey. Before you give over, which is the easiest part, I'll tell you what you need to do. Focus on the scent. That and only that. If anything else happens to smell utterly scrumptious, do not go towards it. Even though we're in a pretty secluded area, there could still be hikers. Don't eat them."

"People are friends, not food," Emmett chimed in.

"Exactly." Alice giggled. "Once you've focused on the scent, use your senses to try to figure out where it is. You'll be able to do that now that you're a newborn. Your hearing and sight have improved by thousands. After you know where it is approximately, you can give over. But even after that, stay _in control_."

"Especially once you're done feeding," Rosalie advised. "Come find us after that. Don't let anything else catch your attention."

"Think you're ready?" Jasper asked. She nodded. "All right. Let's go."

_Control is for the ignorant._

They each raced through the forest in different directions. Bella hesitated in the clearing for a moment, but charged off a minute after. As the speed enraptured her, she closed her eyes happily. The wind swimming through her hair made her giddy. Once deep inside the cover of trees, she searched for the enticing scent Alice had spoken of. When the rich, deliciously hot smell of her prey caught her attention, she sped off.

_Alice didn't say it would smell_ this _good_, she thought. _It's feels so wrong, but it smells so good . . . _

Instead of still remaining in control, she gave over to her senses completely. The muscles in her legs pumped furiously, carrying her easily over the rough terrain. She ran quietly for miles upon miles, never stopping. As she approached her meal, shouts were heard.

"Bella, no!" Edward called.

She paid no heed to his worry. Without thinking, she sank her teeth into the fleshy neck of a young boy.

_Control is for the ignorant._

--

**A/N: Yuppers. It's a cliffie.**

**Review and I'll have the next chaoter out before 9:00. :)**


	12. Improvement Is For the Economy

**A/N: When I said in the last chapter that if I got reviews, I would post the next before 9:00, I kind of forgot to look at the clock. So I was on YouTube and said, "CRAP! IT'S 8:59!" Therefore, this chapter may not get to you guys before 9:00.**

**(and what's with only two reivews for the last chapter? Amybell and cutaneousenses are now my favorite people on the face of the earth because they reviewed!)**

**To Amybell: Is your name Amy? Mine is. :)**

--

Had she not been so engrossed in her meal, she might have seen what it was. When the young boy screamed, she stroked his hair soothingly, though it did nothing. He thrashed and yelled, "Help me, Mom, help me! Please, Mom!" Bella drunk deeper and sunk her teeth farther into his neck. Within, a minute, there was not a drop of blood on his body. The boy dropped limply to the forest floor with a _thunk_.

When she regained her control, Bella gasped. She stared at the corpse in shock. _Did I do that? _she thought. _No, of course not. I would kill a human boy. _The words echoed solidly in her mind, yet she knew each syllable was a lie.

_Improvement is for the economy._

"B- Bella?" Edward stuttered as a remaining drop of the boy's life dribbled for her neck to her throat. "Why did you . . . How could you . . . Bella?"

She shook her head shamefully. He wanted to reach out and hold her tiny hand, but remembered her discomfort. The tendons stretched throughout his arms ached for the feel of her skin. He longed for her lips to move, not necessarily against his, but simply to tell him what it was he had done so wrong.

"Edward?" Alice called. Jasper clutched her hand. "We heard shouting, so we came to-" She gasped, horrified at the sight of the frozen boy.

"Bella, did you . . . ?"Alice asked. She laughed nervously. "Of course you didn't. You would never. No, you wouldn't."

"She did," Edward murmured. "I tried to stop her, but I only started running a few seconds before she started drinking. I'm sorry. I should have gone quicker."

_Improvement is for the economy._

Bella snapped her head up and glared angrily at him, as if to say, _It isn't your fault. I was the one who killed for no purpose at all._ She looked down at the ground quickly, afraid to meet Alice and Jasper's gaze. Though they knew she wasn't to blame for killing the child, there was a hint of disappointment in their meaningful stares. Alice stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket in attempt not to hug her sister. Comforting was one of the few things that came naturally to Alice. The act of making sure that another knew that though they could be in the midst of death, there was someone who loved them unconditionally.

"Jeremy?" a woman called.

Edward gasped. The woman was obviously the child's mother, and obviously throbbing with the life Bella craved.

"We have to go," he hissed. He turned to his love. "Bella, that means now."

Despite his commands, she stayed rooted in spot. The same warm, delicious scent swirled and swarmed around her senses. The monster that scraped at the flesh within her chest growled, begging for the substance once again. Her blood-red eyes flashed dangerously.

"Bella," Edward said, more loudly this time. "Bella, can you hear me? You'll have to move, unless you want me to touch you."

The last statement shook Bella, making her realize just how close he was to her. She stood only a foot away from him, clenching her fists to keep from cupping his face gently. _You'll ruin him, _she thought. _I can never, never touch him. _She stepped away.

_Improvement is for the economy._

With the monster inside still beckoning, she began walking with Alice and Edward in the opposite direction of the woman. Her footsteps were heavy, trudging stomps. They began to run back find the others.

They soon came upon Emmett, just having finished a grizzly and two deer. "Good Lord, did you all hear that?" Emmett asked. "A couple minutes ago I heard this ripping, growling sound, almost like a bear, but bigger. I know it wasn't Rose. She ran to the coast."

"That would be Bella," Alice muttered.

Emmett grinned wildly. "Wow, Bells! Impressive. You're coming hunting with me sometime." Bella smiled lightly, almost free of worry. He cocked his head in confusion to Edward's grimace. "What?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

Alice shuffled her feet. "Bella, um, devoured the wrong course, so to speak."

Emmett froze. "Oh."

"Yeah."

He shrugged. "Even if it's wrong, I can't blame her. I won't lie; I wasn't that much of a saint in my early days, either. And I know Bella will get better. She's not the type of person that makes the same mistake twice."

_Improvement is for the economy._

Bella shook her head doubtfully.

"Bella, stop," Emmett ordered. "I know you'll be fine. With Edward's help, you'll be a die-hard vegetarian in no time. Trust me on this one. If there's one person who can help you stick with a diet, it'll be Edward. He knows better than any of us how hard it is to resist things like that. He even resisted your blood, his _la tua cantante_. I wasn't able to do that for mine."

"Yes, but you also weren't over 100 years old," Edward added.

"True."

"Moving off the subject of self-restraint, or lack thereof," Alice said. "When will Rose be back? We need to figure out where exactly we should go. We can't go to Forks, and Edward said no to Denali, and I would rather not live in the forest like a savage."

"How about Ashland?" Edward suggested. "We haven't been there since Carlisle changed Esme."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Emmett said. "I don't think there's any problem with it. We'll discuss it with Carlisle."

_Improvement is for the economy._

"Discuss what with Carlisle?" a musical, tinkling voice asked. Rosalie emerged from the cover of bushes. She put herself in Emmett's protective embrace.

"Since we can't stay in Forks and Edward doesn't want Denali, Edward suggested Ashland," Alice explained.

"Alright, but you know that means we'll have to shop for new clothing for Canada. The styles are most likely quite different there," Rosalie laughed.

Alice gave her a high-five. "I'm with you," I giggled. "It'll be fun. We haven't had the time to shop in a few months."

Bella groaned inwardly.

_Improvement is for the economy._

--

**A/N: That was a suckish ending. Maybe I'll redo it, but I'm not sure. -sigh- Whatever.**


End file.
